Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-01-15
CLUVERIUS SUFFERS
THE DEATH PENALTY FOR HIS CRIME,
YESTERDAY, AT RICHMOND.
Governor Lee Refuses 10 Interfere and the Law
Takes Its COurss-A Day Of Excitement in
Richmond-Ths History Of the Terrible
Murder Of Fannie Lillian Madison.

proved to be bright and beautiful day,
for at 10 o'clock the mists disappeared, the
clouds rolled back, and the atmosphere was
as bright and balmy as ever seen in May.
Cluyerius, the condemned murderer, was
up early. His counsel, Mr.. Beverly Crump,
parted from him at two o'clock this morn
ing, and he afterwards only took a few
hours rest without removing his clothes;
he ate sparingly, but bore up bravely, and
seemed to be hopeful. Groups of people
gathered around the newspaper offices and
the vicinity of the Jail, anxious to hear
what action, if any, the Governor had
taken. As the hours wore on the crowds
increased, and the excitement became more
and more Intense. The telephone at the
Jail was in constant use askingfor the latest
news.
The Governor remained in his private
office in the executive mansion and was not
seen by any one of the counsel. They had
done all that they could for their client,
but to no avail. Mr.. Crump, one of the
most active of the counsel, came down to
the Jail about II o'clock and had talk
with the prisoner. Mr.. Frank w. Cum
ningham, who had frequently sung for the
prisoners qualification, also came down,
and sang several hymns, one of which COM
mencing, "How firm foundation We saints
of the Lord" greatly affected the prisoner.
The excitement incidental to the hanging
was greatly augmented by reason of the
fact that it was unknown what the action
OF the Governor would be- and there
were great many criticisms upon
this, many very severe upon the
Governor. A photographer of very
enterprising turn mounted q house-top in
tho neighborhood of the Jail and photo
graphed the thousands of people that lined
the sreets The prisoners, some three or
four hundred in number, mostly negroes,
chanted in loud voices their peculiar
hymns while waiting for the hour of ex-
ecutiOn The scaffold was erected in the
inclosure OF the Jail yard and admittance
was gained only by ticket from City
Sergeant Smith. Notwithstanding this
the small space left was filled with people
brought out by idle curiosity. About
1890 o. clock the prisoner sent for Mr..
Beverly Crump and they had q conference,
the exact nature of which is not known
the Jail officers were busy at work testing
the rope and making
PREPARATIONS FOR THE EXECUTION.
The rope was made Of silk and weighed
one pound and quarter. The scatiold
was made by q colOred councilman of Rich
mOnd, and is a very primitive structure OF
pine wood, the drop heing about eight
feet. The trap was supported by three
pieces of scantling about four by six inches
in size. On one side Of it the Jail walls
stood % feet wide, on the other the Jail
building, making narrow corridor Of 10
feet in width and about 4Gyards in length.
Here the crowd assembled packed close to-
gether and above long gallery on n per-
| feet level with the saail0ld were q hundred
people. There were about score of news
paper men present.
DIED Protecting HIS INNOCENCE.
At 1890 p. M. Mr.. Beverly Crump re-
turned to the Jail from his last visit to the
Governor and announced that the Cover
nor had refused to interfere Cluverlus
had up to this mOment cherished the hope
that he would he granted another reprieve,
and when the Governors decision was an
nOunced he became greatly agitated. He
was allowed few moments for prepara-
tiOn, after which he was taken to thu scai'
fold, where he yehemeDtly protested that
he was innocent of the crime. The drop
fell at 1880 p. M, and twenty minutes
later the body was taken down.
1t is estimated that ten thousand per-
sons were around the Jail at the time of
the execution. There is great excitement
in the city.
DISCOVERY OF THE CRIME.
On the morning of March Ia, lSsj, Mr..
l.. Rose, keeper of the old city reservoir in
the west part Of the city, in making his
usual rounds Of inspection, discovered the
body of woman in the reservoir He at
once notified the Coroner, who had the body
taken from the water. 1t proved TO De
that of a good looking young woman Of
about 22 years. The Coroner, after view
ing the remains, pronounced il case Of
suicide and had the body removed tO the
morgue at the city almshouse for identif-
cation. Mr.. Peter j. Burton, q reporter of
the Richmond DispGieh, subsequently went
to the reservoir and then to the morgue,
and his investigation resulted in the for
mutation of murder theory on q chain of
circumstantial evidence which convinced
many minds. A further examination Of
the body disclosed the fact that the unfor-
tunate woman was far advanced in preg-
nancy.
During two days many people saw the
body, and it was finally recognized by two
young ladies (the Misses DunstanD as n
friend of theirs, Miss Fannie Lillian Mad
ison, of King and Queen county, but who
had for some time been teaching school in
Bath county. The eoroner's inquest re-
suited in verdict Of probable murder.
Detectives and police were set TO work and
in short time brought to light circum-
stances that added strength Ia the murder
theory. A woman who had registered at
the American Hotel ON March l3 under
the name Of Miss +. l.. Merton was miss
ing from the hotel, and her disappearance
and the finding Of the body about the
same time
FURNISHED THE FATAL CLUE,
but for which the murder might never have
been known. While the so-called Miss
Merton was at the hotel she wTote and re-
eeived several notes, hut one directed by
her was never delivered, and after her de-
parture from the hotel it was torn TO pieces
by the clerk and cast into the waste basket.
The scraps of this note and the envelope
were subsequently brought to light and
when pasted together il served as one Of
the principal links in the chain which con-
victed the murderer, il being addressed to
''T. J. Cluverius. Further inquiry de-
veloped the fact that the man was young
lawyer Of King and Queen county, and
cousin of the deceased, The discovery Of
this note led to the arrest Of Cluyerius,
who was known to have been in Richmond
on March 13 He was found at the resi-
dence of his aunt, Mrs. Tunstall, in King
and Queen county, and brought to this
city. He waived a preliminary examina-
ton and was sent to the Grand Jury Of the
Hastings Court